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Order: Hemiptera Aphids are small (0.1 inches and smaller), soft-bodied insects that may be found on leaves, stems, and sometimes branches of plants. They have an oval body, and a pair of pipe-like structures (cornicles) that can usually be seen protruding from the back of the body. Colors are widely variable among the different aphid species \u2013 ranging from very pale yellow to nearly black. Most aphids are different shades of green or orange and a few species are bright red. All aphids are small, with the larger species commonly found on stems and branches. Under high densities, cast skins can often be observed and appear as white dried-out exoskeletons.<\/p>\n Aphids are the most common insects found on trees, shrubs, and garden ornamental plants. Over 350 different aphid species occur in the state but most feed on only a few species of plants. Some aphids obscure their body by covering themselves with waxy threads, giving the aphid a \u201cwoolly\u201d appearance. One such wooly aphid, Prociphilus fraxinifolii<\/em>, is a pest of ash and causes leaf curling. Other aphid species that can cause leaf curling and distorted new growth in shade trees and ornamental plants include Aphis helianthin, the spirea aphid (Aphis spiraecola<\/em>), snowball aphid (Ceruraphis viburnicola<\/em>), Brachycaudus helichrysi<\/em>, currant aphid (Cryptomyzus ribis<\/em>), rosy apple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea<\/em>), tulip bulb aphid (Dysaphis tulipae<\/em>), woolly elm aphid (Eriosoma americanum<\/em>), Hyadaphis tataricae<\/em>, black cherry aphid (Myzus cerasi<\/em>), green peach aphid (Myzus persicae<\/em>), Nasonovia aquilegiae<\/em>, Nearctaphis bakeri<\/em>, and Prociphilus franxinifolii<\/em>. Collectively, these aphids feed on a wide variety of plants including red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea<\/em>), Spiraea<\/em> spp., Viburnum<\/em> spp., stone fruits (Prunus<\/em> spp.), currant (Ribes<\/em> spp.), apple (Malus<\/em> spp.), Dutch iris (Iris hollandica<\/em>), tulip (Tulipa<\/em> spp.), elm (Ulmus<\/em> spp.), Amelanchier<\/em> spp., Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica<\/em>), Aquilegia<\/em> spp., hawthorn (Crataegus<\/em> spp.), and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica<\/em>)<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb title=”Quick Facts” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ icon_color=”#F15625″ image_icon_width=”36px” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h3″ header_font=”|||on|||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FEBD3B” custom_margin=”|4%||4%|false|true” custom_padding=”4%|4%|4%|4%|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2022\/03\/currant-aphids.jpeg” alt=”Infestation of currant aphids” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Infestation of currant aphids. Aphids are an extremely common insect in landscapes and gardens. In ornamental plants, shrubs and trees, some aphids cause wilting or leaf curling and excrete a sticky waste product, honeydew that promotes sooty mold growth and can lead to plant injury. Image credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/divi-agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2022\/03\/aphid-leaf-curling-1.jpeg” alt=”aphid injury” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Prociphilus fraxinifoli<\/em> aphid injury on new foliage of green ash. Image credit: <\/em>Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2024\/03\/Colony-spirea-aphids-min.jpg” alt=”Colony of spirea aphids on a spirea twig” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Colony of spirea aphids on a spirea twig. Image credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/divi-agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2022\/03\/aphid-colony-in-ash-leaf-1.jpeg” alt=”aphid colony” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Prociphilus fraxinifoli<\/em> colony within an ash leaf. Image credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2024\/03\/Tulip-bulb-aphid-infestation-min.jpg” alt=”Tulip bulb aphids on iris” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Heavy infestation of tulip bulb aphid on newly emerged iris. Image credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2024\/03\/Black-cherry-aphid-min.jpg” alt=”Different life stages of black cherry aphid” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Different life stages of the black cherry aphid. Image credit: Steven Katovich, Bugwood.org<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2024\/03\/Larva-lady-beetle-min.jpg” alt=”Lady beetle larva feeding on aphids” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Larva of a lady beetle feeding on green peach aphids. Image credit: David Riley, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb image=”https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/agbio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2024\/03\/Leaf-distortion-American-elm-min.jpg” alt=”Leaf distortion on American elm” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.4em” image_icon_custom_margin=”||-22px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Leaf distortion on American elm due to feeding of the woolly elm aphid. Image credit: Steven Katovich, Bugwood.org<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#F1F1F1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\t\t Colonies of aphids often consist of a mixture of winged and wingless forms. Most aphids develop into the wingless form to remain and reproduce on the plant. More winged forms tend to be produced when colonies get overcrowded, plants decline in quality, or environmental cues favor dispersal to new plants. The most common reproduction includes parthenogenetic vivipary whereby female aphids give live birth to a genetically identical daughter through asexual reproduction. The newly born aphid can develop rapidly, typically becoming full-grown in about 10 to14 days. Adults usually can produce three to five young per day over the course of their lifetime, which may extend to about a month but is usually shortened by natural enemy activity.<\/p>\n At the end of the summer, different forms of aphids are produced, including sexual forms. After mating, females can lay eggs, which they typically lay in crevices around buds or on stems. The eggs are commonly the overwintering stage of sexually reproducing aphids in Colorado. Eggs hatch the following spring, shortly after bud break, and the asexual life cycle resumes.<\/p>\n Some aphids have even more complicated life cycles that involve alternating among host plants. With these species, eggs are laid at the end of the growing season on a tree or shrub (winter host). The eggs hatch in the spring and the aphids have several generations, produce only winged forms, and then leave the winter host to move and feed on a summer host. The summer hosts of these plants include several garden plants and weeds.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\t\t Aphids often<\/span>\u00a0do<\/span>\u00a0no<\/span>t impact plant health but cause temporary aes<\/span>thetic\u00a0<\/span>injury<\/span>\u00a0to plant<\/span>s<\/span>. A<\/span>\u00a0few aphid species do cause problems<\/span>, particularly if they also transmit pathogens that can cause plant diseases<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Aphids\u00a0<\/span>use their straw-like mouthparts to suck\u00a0<\/span>sap from plants. When the number of aphids on a plant\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0very high for an extended period, their feeding can cause wilting and sometimes dieback of shoots and buds. Some aphids can cause leaf curling when the insect infests emerging leaves.<\/span>\u00a0Aphid injury can also<\/span>\u00a0include copious amounts of<\/span>\u00a0sticky honeydew<\/span>, a waste byproduct secreted by aphids and other insects feeding on sugar-rich phloem. Honeydew\u00a0<\/span>may cover leaves, branches, sidewalks, and anything that lies beneath an infested plant. Grayish sooty mold grows on the honeydew, further detracting from plant appearance. Ants, yellowjacket wasps, flies, and bees are usually attracted to plants that are covered with honeydew.<\/span>\u00a0Aphids\u00a0<\/span>also commonly<\/span>\u00a0vector or transmit damaging\u00a0<\/span>plant viruses.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#F1F1F1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\t\t The first step in aphid management is monitoring\u00a0<\/span>for them on landscape and garden plants to\u00a0<\/span>ensure populations do not surpass the threshold of\u00a0<\/span>aesthetic<\/span>\u00a0injury<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Look for signs of aphid presence such as cast white skins\u00a0<\/span>on plant surfaces or flecks of sticky excrement, honeydew on leaves. Many\u00a0<\/span>aphid<\/span>\u00a0species\u00a0<\/span>cluster<\/span>\u00a0on the underside of leaves or<\/span>\u00a0newer growth.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Adult winged aphids may be\u00a0<\/span>found on yellow sticky traps<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On shrubs and garden plants, aphids can sometimes be managed by simply washing them off plants with a forceful jet of water. Hosing plants may lethally injure aphids and very few surviving aphids that are knocked to the ground can successfully find their way back onto their host plant. Some flowers that are perennial but dieback to the ground in fall can be infested with aphids in the spring. Columbine, lupines, and perennial asters are examples. In these plants, aphids lay eggs on the new growth in the fall. The eggs can be prevented from hatching the next spring by removing the old growth prior to the emergence of new growth in spring.<\/p>\n Aphids are quite defenseless and there are numerous insects that feed on them<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The best known of these natural enemies are lady beetles, with lady beetle larvae being particularly voracious predators of aphids. Other common aphid predators include the larvae of green lacewings and flower (syrphid) flies.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Several species of minute wasps parasitize aphids. These parasitoid wasps insert their eggs into the body of the aphid and the larvae consume it internally. Aphids that have been killed by parasitoid wasps (\u201caphid mummies\u201d) have a conspicuous appearance, becoming bloated, turning light brown or black and sticking to the plant.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Where high numbers of aphids occur and injure plants or outbreaks are not sufficiently controlled by biological controls, insecticides can be used to manage aphids. Examples of chemical controls are horticultural oils, non-persistent contact insecticide sprays, insecticidal soaps, persistent contact insecticide sprays, systemic insecticide sprays, and soil-applied systemic insecticides. Insecticidal soaps are a popular chemical control for aphid management but must come in direct contact with aphids during the application to be effective. Other insecticides have a longer residual activity and can kill aphids on contact for one or two days after an application. However, contact insecticides are ineffective against aphid species that develop within curled leaves. One group of insecticides, called horticultural oils, act by smothering insects and are of particular importance in aphid control on stone fruits. These horticultural oils are often applied during the dormant season before bud break during, which targets aphids that overwinter as eggs on trees and shrubs.<\/p>\n Systemic insecticides work by moving through the plant where the toxin accumulates in plant tissues and fluids. Some formulations are designed to be applied as foliar sprays, while others are applied in soil where they are taken up by roots and transported to young leaves.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”CSU Extension Fact Sheet” url=”https:\/\/extension.colostate.edu\/docs\/pubs\/insect\/05511.pdf” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ icon_color=”#F15625″ image_icon_width=”36px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h2″ header_font_size=”36px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Download or view the CSU Extension’s PDF fact sheet for your reference.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\t\t University of Nebraska-Lincoln. (n.d.).<\/strong>\u00a0Aphids on Shade Trees and Ornamentals. University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Extension. Available\u00a0https:\/\/lancaster.unl.edu\/aphids-in-trees-ornamentals<\/a><\/p>\n
Family: Aphididae<\/span><\/p>\nDescription<\/h2>\n
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Life history and habits<\/h2>\n
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Injury<\/h2>\n
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Management<\/h2>\n
Cultural control<\/h3>\n
Biological control<\/h3>\n
Chemical control<\/h3>\n
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Additional reading<\/h2>\n